Aeroplane



March 17, 1925.

C. BUTTNER anonima Sheets-Shed 1 TLM/fief 244. AEHONAU'I'IUS March 17, 192,5.

Filed Jun! 29, 1923 c. BUTTNER AEROPLANE s sheets-sheet 2 uff/Wr 244. AERONAUTICS March 17, 1925.

1,530,232 c. BUTTNER AEROPLANE Filld June 29, 1923 ,3 Sheets-Sheet 5 244. AERONAUTICS Patented Mar. 17, 19.25.

UNITED STATES 1,530,232 PATENT OFFICE.

CARL BUTTNER, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNO'R OF ONE-HALF T0 ERNEST KUN- DIG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AEROPLANE.

Application filed June 29, 1923. Serial No. 648,614.

To all @07mm t may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL BUTTNER, a citizen of the Republic of Germany, and a resident of Berlin, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to novel improvements in aeroplanes and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this character which will be highly eflicient in use and economical 1n manufacture.

Among other objects of the invention is the provision for adjusting the inclination of the planes of the aeroplane whereby the carrying power can be increased or decreased at will and the aeroplane operated at an economical cost.

The aeroplane embodied in the invention and as illustrated in the drawings is of the inonoplane type and is constructed so that the same can be operated for transporting the device on the ground.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consist-s in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part o-f this specification, and in which,

Fig. 1, is a top plan view of an aeroplane embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, is a front elevational view of the same taken substantiallv on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3, is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4, is a typical side elevational view of the aeroplane embodying the invention;

Fig. 5, is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6, is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

In attaining the objects of the invention, 10 indicates the body of the aeroplane embodying the invention, mounted upon wheels 11 and 12; 13 indicates the propeller of the usual approved type operated by a motor 13 of approved type; 14 and 15 the main planes; 16 the stabilizing wings; 17 the pilots seat when the aeroplane is operated in the air and 18 the pilots seat when the aeroplane is operated on the ground. The

body 10 is provided with a door 19 leading to a passenger compartment within the body.

The main planes 14 and 15 are pivotally connected together as at 20 to an upright member 21. The means for adjusting the inclination of each of the planes in unison about their pivot connection includes a connecting rod 22 having one end connected to the adjacent plane as at 23 and the opposite end connected as at 24 to a spring 25 of the semi-elliptical type. The spring 25 is carried by bearings 26 having threaded engagement and movable longitudinally with respect to shafts 27 journalled in suitable bearings 28. The shafts 27, (see Fig. 4) carry gears 29 meshing with worm gears 30 carried by shaft 31 journalled in suitable bearing brackets 32. The opposite shafts 31 are operativelv connected together to operate in unison by means of bevelled gears 33 and 34, the bevelled gears 33 being carried by shaft 35 journalled in suitable bearing brackets 36. Carried by a shaft 37 at its lower end thereof, is a bevelled gear 38 having meshing relation with the adjacent bevelled gear 34 as best shown in Fig. 3. The opposite end of the shaft 37 carries a hand operated wheel 39, as best shown in Fig. 4, located Within convenient reach from the pilots seat 17. As shown in Fig. 2, the main planes 14 and 15 are each braced by a rod member 40 having one end loosely connected to the adjacent plane as at 41 and the other end fastened to the body 10, while a second rod 43 is similarly loosely connected to the main plane and has the other end passing through a bushing 42 and extending into the interior of the plane and carrying a transversely arranged bolt 44. This end lof the rod 43 abuts an eX- pansion spring 45 fixed to a member 46 within the body.

The operation of the arrangement so far described is such that by manipulating the hand wheel 39 the shafts 31 are caused to rotate and in turn rotate the shafts 27 causing the bearings 26 to thread along the shafts manipulating the main planes, changing the degree of inclination thereof.

When the plane is operated `on the ground, operative connection is made with the wheel 12 by means of a shaft 47 carrying at its rear end a bevelled gear 48 meshing with a bevelled gear 49 carried 0n the shaft 50 of E' a. eraetsmaa the wheel 12 and at its opposite end the shaft carries a sprocket gear 51 operatively connected to a sprocket gear 52 by means of a sprocket chain 53. Operative connection is made wit-h the sprocket 52 by means of a clutch 54 in operative connection with the motor shaft 55 and operated by an operating handle 56 arranged and located within a convenient reach from the pilots seat 18. As shown in Fig. 1, the stabilizing wings 16 are adjusted by means of an voperating wheel 57 having operative connection with the wings by cables 58 passing around rollers 59, the cables being adapted to be wound on a suitable drum 60.

In operating the aeroplane to best illustrate the advantages of the invention, assume that at the starting off of the aeroplane the degree of inclination of the main planes is about ten degrees. As the plane starts its upward climb by manipulating the operating handle 39, the degree of inclination of the main planes is gradually decreased, for example after a one hour flight the deree of inclination can be changed to eight cegrees, then seven degrees and so on until one degree is reached. At this point, due to the lack of resistance while in the air, the aeroplane will arrive at a terrific speed because the wings have been placed to a level according to the weight carried by the aeroplane. Due to the fact that the rods 43 abut spring members 45 during the adjustment of the main planes the spring members give resiliency to the main planes and prevent sharp jerks thereto lessening the possibility of the planes becoming damaged or otherwise inoperative. It is apparent from the description herein that I provide mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the main planes according to the weight the aeroplane carries and the speed required.

As has been herein referred to the aeroplane is designed to be operated on the ground and when such is the case, the pilot mani ulates the clutch mechanism 56 from the pilots seat 18.

It is obvious that I provide an arrangement and combination of parts whereby the aeroplane embodying the invention has a carrying capacity over aeroplanes now conimercially in use and while it has been indicated that the aeroplane illustrated in the drawings is of the monoplane type it is to be understood that the arrangement and combination of parts can be associated with aeroplanes of various types.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modication without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An air craft provided with main planes pivotally connected for unitary movement, means including resilient means operable from the pilots seat of the air craft for yieldably adjusting the inclination of said planes, and means including slanting bars and spring means for yieldably bracing said planes.

2. An air craft provided with pivotally mounted main planes, shafts carried by the body of the air craft, means operable from the pilots seat of the air craft for actuating said shafts, and spring members having operative connections with the main planes and with said shafts and being adjustable longitudinally with respect to said shafts for yieldably adjusting the inclination of said planes.

3. An air craft provided with main planes pivotally connected together for unitary movement, movable resilient members carried by the body of the air craft and having operative connections to the planes and adapted when moved to adjust the inclination of the planes, and means for moving said members.

4. An air craft provided with main planes pivotally connected together for unitary movement, movable resilient members carried by the body of the air craft and having operative connections to the planes, and adapted when moved to adjust the inclination of the planes, means for moving the resilient members, and bracing means for the main planes, said bracing means including rod members having resilient Yattachment to the body of the air craft.

5. An air craft provided with main planes pivotally connected together for unitary movement, rotatably threaded members carried by the body of the air craft, and members connected to the main planes and being resiliently supported by and movable longitudinally on said threaded members for yieldably adjusting the inclination of said planes.

6. An air craft provided with main planes pivotally connected together for unitary movement, rotatably threaded members carried by the body of the air craft, resilient members having operative connections to the main planes and movable longitudinally with respect to the threaded members and adapted when moved to adjust the inclination of the planes, and bracing means for the main planes, said bracing means including rod members having resilient attachment tothe body of the air craft.

7 An air craft provided with movable main planes, threaded members rotatably 244. AERONAUTICS carried by the body of the air craft, means operable from the pilots seat of the air craft for rotating said members, spring members having operative connections with the main planes and with the threaded members and adapted to be moved longitudinally with respect to said members and adapted When moved to adjust the inclination of the main planes.

8. An air craft provided with movable main planes, threaded members rotatably carried by the body of the air craft, means operable from the pilots seat of the air craft for rotating said members, spring members having operative connections with the main planes and with the threaded members and adapted to be moved longitudinally with respect to said members and adapted when moved to adjust the inclination of the main planes, and bracing means for the main lanes, said bracing means including members having resilient attachment to the body of the air craft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CARL BUTTNER.

Witnesses:

FRIEDRICH MAHLo, Jon. LICZMANSKI. 

